this morning on "early today," snow, rain, and dangerous winds hit the storm-battered northeast. a victory for president obama. now he returns to washington to deal with a serious financial disaster. and dodging traffic. a nasty auto accident caught on tape, along with the pedestrian who walked away from it. >> announcer: this is "early today" for thursday, november 8th, 2012. good morning. i'm lynn berry. more misery for residents in the northeast this morning as a powerful nor'easter has battered areas already hard hit by hurricane sandy. with winds topping 60 miles per hour, the nor'easter dumped as much as a foot of snow in some parts, downing trees and power lines. as many as 1,700 flights have been canceled just in the past 24 hours, and according to the latest numbers, nearly 401,000 homes and businesses are still without electricity this morning

after these two big storms. nbc's danielle leigh is in trenton, new jersey, for us this morning. danielle, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, lynn. we're waking up to a couple inches of snow here in trenton. behind me, a downed tree that possibly fell during the height of last night's storm. and for the hundreds of thousands of people still trying to recover from sandy, this was the last thing they needed. rain, snow, and wind at times over 60 miles an hour is drenching homes. entire communities already rearranged by hurricane sandy. >> it's overwhelming. >> it's very sad. it's very sad to see us getting pounded again. >> reporter: waves lashed out on beaches nearly washed away in last week's superstorm leading to new fears of flooding. from sea bright to queens, people are seeking shelter once again. >> a warm shelter is available for free at hillcrest high school. >> reporter: even as crews rushed to problematic power

lines, hundreds of thousands just getting their lights back on are back in the dark. >> it's just, it's a little insult to injury, but that's mother nature. >> reporter: for others who never had their power restored, this cold weather is miserable. >> it's cold! very cold. you sleep at night with blankets and socks and everything else on, and it's just horrible. >> reporter: the storm is forcing airlines to cancel more than 1,000 flights and leading to accidents on the roads. >> it's slippery, very slippery. >> reporter: new setbacks all along the northeast. >> i hate setbacks. i don't tolerate them usually very well, but this one i can't control. the weather is what it is. >> reporter: millions now preparing to spend another day climbing out from a new beating, thanks to this season's first winter storm. people here are really holding on to those forecasts predicting it is going to warm up and dry

out over the next couple days. they are ready for a break and they are ready to focus on this recovery. reporting live in trenton, new jersey, i'm danielle leigh. back to you. >> yeah, they do need that break. danielle, thanks so much. let's go to nbc meteorologist bill karins, tracking the storm for us. the question is, when will they get that break? >> soon, but it's amazing historically, to look at the fact that an area of the country hit by a hurricane, a strong one at that, nine days later has picked up between 4 and 8 inches of snow. i don't know if you go back to the history records of the landfalling hurricanes, we've never seen anything like this nine days late yes, but that's what we've dealt with and now the storm is just south of cape cod, heavy snow set up over new jersey, new york city and up into connecticut. snowfall totals very impressive. manchester, new jersey, one of highest totals, nearly a foot. many areas of connecticut picked up between five to eight inches. and central park in new york city picked up between about four to five inches of snow, being the earliest ever that new york city has had four inches of snow heading into the winter season. and these wind gusts are still

impressive. they've come down, lynn, over new york city and areas of new england, but cape cod? it's still howling up to 60-mile-per-hour gusts, so an impressive early-season nor'easter. >> bill, thanks so much. well, president obama is back at the white house this morning where he will begin to work with congress on taxes, spending, and the national debt to avoid that so-called fiscal cliff. nbc's tracie potts is in washington with the latest on that. tracie, good morning. >> reporter: lynn, good morning. that big party in chicago over, the president now back here in washington dealing with congress and about to deal with some serious financial problems that could hit before the end of the year. >> i am looking forward to reaching out and working with leaders of both parties to meet the challenges we can only solve together. >> reporter: fresh off his election victory, president obama's already been on the phone with top democrats and republicans in congress, urging them to compromise before america falls off the fiscal cliff. what's that?

long-term unemployment benefits and the 2% payroll tax cut expiring, a big cut in medicare payments, and your taxes going up january 1, if congress doesn't act. plus, another $500 billion in cuts at the pentagon. boeing, the military's second largest supplier, already announced a second round of executive layoffs. >> nobody wants to see this fiscal cliff without a deal, because the cuts are severe and the tax increases are severe and so we've got to find a path forward. >> reporter: on capital hill leaders signaled compromise. >> compromise is not a dirty word. i want to work together, but i want everyone to also understand you can't push us around. >> i'm not suggesting we compromise on our principles, but i am suggesting that we commit ourselves to creating an atmosphere where we can see common ground where it exists and seize it. >> reporter: post election, the same president, the same balance of power in congress, and the same problems that divided a nation.

now, you might recall, before the election, president obama said if re-elected, which now he has been, he thinks he can come up with a deficit deal within six months. the clock is now ticking. lynn? >> sure is. tracie, thanks. well, bill karins is back with your national and regional weather. bill, west coast is getting slammed as well. >> especially the northern rockies. they're going to see a significant early-season snowstorm and a blizzard in some cases. mostly, our friends in montana are getting the brunt of this one, but you can already see the players coming into place, some moisture streaming up from the south with the jet stream and you can see the big upper level low spinning off the coast of seattle and portland. going to bring showers there. but this front has come through and brought cooler temperatures, setting the stage for an impressive early winter season storm. areas of pink winter storm warnings, you can see the majestic color, those are warnings. northern california expected to get snow at higher elevations, but not so much in the cascades. not a lot of moisture available.

so, the west definitely seeing some changes from that warm weather pattern we were in. you notice the snowfall predictions, many of the mountains of california, only expecting a couple of inches here or there. the mountainous areas of idaho and montana would be the jackpot of this storm. so, as far as the forecast goes for today, notice the cooler temperatures, chance of showers many areas of the west. and watch out, travel not advised up through idaho and montana this afternoon. that's a look at your national forecast. now he cooler air mass, the skies should fill in quickly. so, the good news, i guess, with this big storm in the northern plains, it's not going to head to the east coast. that area's going to be spared, for once. >> i guess we don't get a third whammy. >> no. >> bill, thanks so much. well, congressman jesse jackson jr. won re-election but

could lose with the feds? and election loser alan west will not go quietly. plus, today former congresswoman gabby giffords goes face to face with the man who tried to assassinate her. details are next. you're watching "early today."

plenty of other stories making news this morning. the "chicago sun-times" reports that illinois congressman jesse jackson jr. is talking with federal prosecutors about a possible plea deal. jackson easily won re-election tuesday while being treated at the mayo clinic for bipolar disorder and depression. the feds are looking into whether jackson may have improperly used campaign funds pay for decorating his home. today, for the first time after she was gunned down exactly 22 months ago, former arizona congresswoman gabby giffords will come face to face with the man who tried to assassinate her. jared loughner will be sentenced to life without parole after pleading guilty to the murders of six people and the wounding of 13 others.

giffords' husband, mark kelly, will also be in court reading a letter on his wife's behalf. the election in florida is still too close to call in the presidential contest. and in another florida race, republican congressman alan west is demanding a recount, despite the fact that he's trailing democrat patrick murphy by nearly 2,500 votes, considered outside the margin for a recount. at least 48 are dead after a massive 7.4-magnitude earthquake in guatemala. cameras rolled as an aftershock hit during a briefing by the country's president and his sign language interpreter. all right, so take a look at the upper right-hand part of your screen. this is amazing! do you see that woman? it's incredible video from great britain, and it shows a woman who survived after getting crushed by three cars while trying to walk across the street. amazingly, she suffered only nonlife-threatening head injuries. unreal. now to wall street where u.s. markets and asian markets suffered hard losses. the dow plunged 312 points

yesterday. the s&p fell 33. the nasdaq tumbled 74. in tokyo, the nikkei sank 135 points, while in hong kong, the hang seng shot down 532. well, the post election day drop for the dow was the fifth largest since 1900. as wall street responded to the elections with a selloff on fears that congress and the white house won't be able to avoid that fiscal cliff we told you about earlier in the show. a california judge has refused to issue a preliminary injunction to stop dish network's digital video recorder which allows consumers to record certain shows and then play them back without any commercials. airlines could be stuffed like turkeys this thanksgiving as an airline trade group estimates that travel will be on the rise with almost 24 million travelers flying from friday, november 16th, through tuesday, the 27th. legal marijuana, which voters in washington and colorado approved, could become big business, generating

millions in tax dollars, but colorado's governor joked that it is too early to break out the cheetos and goldfish, because the federal government may sue to stop it. well, d.c. entertainment is now going to sell all its comics including superman, batman, online through itunes, amazon and barnes & noble. the comics' digital versions will be available the same day they go on sale in comic stores. and jetblue airlines says congratulations team elephant. huh? for possibly winning a free trip out of the country for incorrectly predicting that mitt romney would be president. those who registered on team elephant have a chance to win one of 1,000 round-trip flights. well, coming up, a man elected a month after he died. plus, did this hail day fire start all by itself? details are next. and the hard-hit areas from sandy and now this nor'easter need a break. your friday forecast, maybe some good news. that's coming up.

you're watching "early today."

well, now a look at some of the stories making news early today in america. let's begin with a colossal blaze that phoenix firefighters could be battling for several days. officials aren't quite sure what started the massive fire but say sometimes hay bales ignite from excessive moisture and bacteria which causes fire. as of this morning, fire crews

continue to fight the enormous hay fire that is now 200 feet wide and 20 feet high. all right. now to alabama where voters decided a dead man was better than a democrat. nearly a month after his death, republican candidate charles beasley won the race for county commissioner. his name was left on the ballot and he received nearly 52% of the vote. appointment of a new commissioner now falls to the governor. and finally, remember the woman who recklessly drove on the sidewalk to get around a school bus picking up the kids? not a good idea. well, her traffic violation led to a $3 250 fine, a 30-day license suspension and some major public humiliation. next tuesday and wednesday, the judge has ordered the 32-year-old to wear a sandwich board on the street that reads, "only idiots drive on a sidewalk to avoid a school bus." that'll do. well, in sports, some dramatic finishes in the nba. in overtime in boston, the celtics kevin garnett grabs the rebound to start the fast break as brandon bass makes the lay-up in a 100-94 win over the

wizards. and with just over a minute left to play in atlanta, the hawks' jeff teague hit a three-point shot to take the lead and edge indiana 89-86. well, just ahead, stephen colbert's agony of defeat. and who's your favorite fictional president? plus, we'll tell you why this peewee football player has become such a huge internet sensation. you're watching "early today."

well, during the day today, a huge winter storm is going to develop over the northern rockies, spilling all through montana, even into north dakota. we're going to see easily 6 to 12 inches over a large swath of the country. a lot of unpopulated areas. but if you're traveling through those regions on the highways, it won't be fun and probably not recommended. a little bit of snow in the cascades, southern portions of oregon and northern california. that's really about it as far as the snowfall forecast is going to go. as far as the precipitation, other areas, just showery weather today, especially up there around seattle, portland, as the upper level low comes on shore. you'll see hit-or-miss showers throughout the day. overall, lynn, temperatures have cooled off in the west, but this next big storm for the northern plains it won't be fun. >> looks like a big one. all right, bill, thanks so much. well, now for some entertainment news. the election is won. what does joe biden do? he's not going to go to disneyland, but the vice president will actually be a guest star on nbc's "parks and recreation." biden has in fact been mentioned on the show before. amy poehler described her perfect man as having the brains

of george clooney and the body of joe biden. >> ooh. >> sounds hot! well, lady gaga announced she will be donating $1 million to the red cross to aid those affected by hurricane sandy. way to go, gaga. she says she would not be the artist she is today if not for places like manhattan's lower east side or brooklyn. last night, stephen colbert was having a tough time accepting the outcome of the presidential election. >> knew this was coming. >> it was come, it came. take a look. >> what's the point? [ cheers and applause ] >> and who will be "chopped"? [ cheers and applause ] >> i like the white turtleneck and red robe. that's very classy. and finally, 500 people were asked who is their favorite fictional president from tv and movies, and the results are in. harrison ford took the top spot

as president marshall in "air force one," in which he famously yelled "get off my plane!" good one. second one went to morgan freeman as president beck in "deep impact." you know, i never saw that. >> you didn't miss anything. >> good to know, apparently not according to the survey. bill pullman came in third as the alien-battling president from "independence day." >> those are the fictional presidents and "lincoln" is coming out. >> i think it's coming out tomorrow, on friday. >> we'll have to ask our entertainment reporter, which isn't either of us. >> he's out today, our entertainment reporter. but in tv, we were all talking "24." >> of course. >> i'm forgetting -- palmer, president palmer. >> "homeland" is huge, too. >> i know. i wish i had showtime. unfortunately, i don't. >> want me to call your cable provider? >> that would be great, thank you. and this comes to us from salt lake city, utah, where playing like a girl has turned

one pee wee football player into an internet sensation. it is only her first year playing little league football but 9-year-old samantha gordon is already looking like a natural. she's my hero. when the youngster turns on her jets the boys can barely keep up with her. she's scored 35 touchdowns and run for close to 1200 yards. pretty impressive considering the team is chasing her ponytail and she's only 9 years old and they're like, what? where did she go. >> she's quick. >> watch out, nfl. >> you never know. >> has got like the longhorns calling her, longhorns sending out the troops. all right, well, i'm lynn berry. this is "early today," just your first stop of the day today on your nbc station.

in california, the milestones just keep rolling in for one furry bundle. a baby panda at the san diego zoo celebrated his 100th day. the cub now weighs in at nearly ten pounds. he's gaining mobility and has even started sprouting teeth. the panda is set to be given a name on november 13th at a ceremony to mark the occasion. your daily panda fix. well, two british notables have made some friends down under. prince charles and the duchess of cornwall received a warm welcome in australia celebrating the diamond jubilee. they met with school children, business owners, and even a set of koalas. while prince charles was happy to meet the animals, he was apparently worried they would answer the call of nature as he held them. that would be so improper. finally, mayor michael bloomberg's sign language interpreter became an overnight sensation last week. did you hear about this? her very expressive signing was so popular, even "saturday night

live" featured their take on it. well, mayor bloomberg, aware of the parody, asked his interpreter about the show. >> did you see "saturday night live"? >> i did. >> thought so. >> i didn't want to hear her talk, though. >> i know. it loses the allure. if people hadn't seen it, she was so incredibly animated. >> the most famous interpreter that we will ever have. >> she will go down in history. she needs to go to broadway. it's time for now for an early look at some of the stories we'll follow throughout the day, this thursday here on nbc. billions of dollars are at stake as a judge holds a hearing on the fairness of bp's oil settlement with thousands of claimants. bp expects to pay about $7.8 billion under the deal, which some lawyers argue treats some fishermen unfairly. the u.s. postal service holds a news conference to kick off the holiday rush and remind people to mail their stuff early. 17.9 billion cards, letters and

packages are expected to be delivered between thanksgiving and christmas. can't believe it's already that time of year. and on this day in 1889, montana became the nation's 41st state. all day long you can stay on top of the very latest developments in those stories and others as they break on msnbc. and tonight be sure to watch "nbc nightly news" with brian williams. and, finally, here's a look at what's coming up later this morning on the "today" show. actor robert pattinson dishes about the upcoming final installment of "the twilight series." and actor roger moore talks about his new book and what he's learned from playing 007. now, keep it on this channel for continuing local news, weather, sports and more. i'm lynn berry. thanks for watching "early today," just your first stop of the day today on your nbc station. have a good one.